July 2017

Labor Shortage Causes Headaches for Builders

DAILY REAL ESTATE NEWS | THURSDAY, JULY 06, 2017

Buyers eyeing newly constructed homes may need to brace for building delays and higher prices due to an ongoing labor shortage. About two-thirds of homebuilding contractors say they’re struggling to finish projects on time because of the labor shortage, according to a new survey sponsored by USG Corp. and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. More than one-third say they sometimes have to turn projects down.

“Basically, they’re just making people work harder as a way to cope,” says Steve Jones, senior director of Dodge Data & Analytics who is part of the research team. Sixty-one percent of survey respondents say they’re having trouble finding skilled